Last time I watched TV that early, I was watching cartoons before school.

I watched as buildings exploded, burned and fell. Beneath the awe-inspiring structural collapse, 1000s of people are dying.

Thousands of souls screaming in pain and confusion and anger.

I find myself being overcome by fits of tears.

Senseless, but intentional, killing…it is unfathomable.

When the news reports started, they told of the disaster: Of the wreckage. Of the possible deaths.

The focus was on what can be done to ensure that no more lives are lost and no more disasters occur. Mayor Guliani emphasized calmness and evacuation: Make room for the ambulances to help the injured and dying.

Then, as the immediate threats subsided, I heard the first mention of “Act of War.” Newt Gingrich made continual comparisons to Peal Harbor.

My despair started shifting to fear.

More and more commentary talked about making the responsible people pay. When Bush finally commented, he wanted to “hunt down and punish” the guilty.

Let’s all take a deep breath.

I’m not saying we should or shouldn’t do anything.

But ‘War’ is a heavy term to throw around.

And my dreams are of Peace, not Punishment.

It is possible that force is required to maintain peace. But I pray that we don’t let pride, anger, or fear pull us down paths of even greater destruction and grief. Remember the type of people we are dealing with.

Let the goal be peace, not payback.

Today I pray for sanity.

I pray for the victims.

I pray that this is the end of the destruction.

I pray that our next challenge is recovery, not revenge.

The world right now is in darkness, huddling in a shadow of hate.

Let’s mourn. Let’s grieve. But lets make “love” be the emotion that fills us as we move foreword.

Let’s put energy into a blood donor drive, not blood spilling.

Today I sit and grasp on to what is truly important: My family. My friends. You.